Cambodia to Host International Conference on Online Scams, Aiming to Restore International Trust Amidst Thai Accusations

Cambodia is set to host the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS-2026) in Phnom Penh on September 23-24, 2026, signaling its political will and commitment to fighting online fraud. Experts believe this event could help restore Cambodia's international reputation and build confidence from the global community, thereby fostering a better environment for investment and tourism. The British Embassy in Cambodia has acknowledged Cambodia's efforts, stating they are significant and contribute to addressing a rapidly growing global criminal issue. The conference, themed 'Together Towards Severing the Chains and Ending Cyber Scams,' will bring together governments, international organizations, law enforcement agencies, and relevant stakeholders to strengthen cooperation against cross-border fraud. Dr. Yeng Pov, a geopolitical expert, views Cambodia hosting this international conference as a crucial opportunity to demonstrate the government's resolve in tackling online scams and to enhance cooperation with partner countries, recognizing that Cambodia itself is a victim. Dr. Pov highlighted that online scams have tarnished Cambodia's international image, with Thailand allegedly exploiting this issue to make territorial claims against Cambodia. "The core issue is that Thailand has severely defamed Cambodia regarding online scams, portraying it as a hub for such activities, which is a distortion of the truth and has damaged Cambodia's overall reputation," he stated. He further argued that while Thailand attempts to shift responsibility for online scams onto Cambodia, Thailand itself is a major center for such activities in Southeast Asia. This reputational damage, he warned, could lead to a loss of tourists and investors, and may cause international concern or fear about traveling to Cambodia, thereby impacting the country's economic activities. "Therefore, hosting this conference in Cambodia aims to show that the Cambodian government's policy is genuinely committed to solving this problem. The Prime Minister has previously stated and is now implementing measures, not just as political rhetoric, but Cambodia is vigorously cracking down and cooperating with friendly nations and partners on this suppression. Hosting the conference reveals the core issues to the international community, development partners, and friendly countries, enabling joint solutions," Dr. Pov explained. The British Embassy reiterated its support, posting on social media, "Transnational criminal networks are borderless. Our efforts to combat them must be equally borderless." This week, Lord Hanson, UK Minister for Security, is visiting Cambodia to discuss combating online scams, fraud, and cross-border crime. During his first visit, Lord Hanson will join international partners at Cambodia's ICCOS conference and sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the UK and Cambodia to strengthen cooperation in confronting these escalating global threats. The embassy emphasized, "Cambodia's efforts are indeed significant. By bringing together international partners and strengthening cooperation, Cambodia is contributing to addressing one of the fastest-growing criminal problems in the world." From July 2025 to the end of August 2026, Cambodian authorities conducted operations at 663 locations, cracking down on online scam offenses. Among these, 86 large-scale scam centers were raided and brought under control, with legal proceedings ongoing for confiscation. Concurrently, over $300 million USD in bank accounts linked to online scam offenses have been frozen, with further related assets undergoing freezing and valuation procedures.